A Rehearsal with Ryan
by PeetaisGoode
Summary: After picking Sam up after school, Ryan Slocum attempts to teach her to drive. Involves sideswipes, mini-heart attacks, and a very jealous Jake Ely.


** Hey everybody! This is my first Phantom Stallion fanfiction. I've had this idea rolling around in my head for about three days now and I needed to get it out. Read and Review! I need at least 5 to update. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Samantha Forster sat hunched over on the edge of the curb outside Darton High School, auburn hair twisting and twirling in the lukewarm air. Spring had finally arrived in Northern Nevada. When a shadow fell over Samantha, she glanced up into the blinding sun at Ryan Slocum.

"Hello, Samantha." He said in his clipped British accent.

"Oh my gosh Ryan!" She scolded, laughing, "I think this has to be the millionth time I've asked you to call me Sam!"

"Alright, sorry Sam." Ryan said, chuckling. "What are you doing here?"

Sam sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears before speaking. "I, uh, don't laugh at me… but I failed a math quiz. Again."

Ryan's eyebrows rose up to disappear under his mop of coffee brown hair. "I'm sorry to hear that Sam. But I thought your friend Jake was helping you with your work?"

Sam snorted in a very un-ladylike way. "Yeah, if you consider insulting me and chastising me helping. So what about you?"

"What about me?" Ryan asked.

"What are you doing here?"

He held up a thick book that Sam hadn't noticed was under his arm.

"Pre-calculus!" Sam gasped. "I can't even pass Algebra! No wonder you and Jen get along so well."

Ryan smiled and shifted his backpack before looking at his watch.

"It's almost 3:30; do you want a ride home?"

"Sure! Thanks!" Sam said happily, grabbing her backpack. As the two walked towards the student parking lot, Ryan asked Sam how Brynna was doing.

'Umm, pretty good," Sam mused, "She's been kinda tired lately, now that the baby's kicking."

Ryan looked over at her. "How do you feel about all this?"

"About what? The tiredness?" Sam questioned.

"No." He said, shuffling his feet awkwardly, "uh, your dad and Brynna in general. You know, because of your mother and all that."

"Oh! No, I'm fine about Dad and Brynna. She's awesome."

"Glad to hear it." Ryan said.

"The only thing that bothers me," Sam confessed, "is that I'm afraid that Brynna's going to go into labor when it's just me and her. What if I have to drive to the hospital? I stink at driving."

Ryan smiled. "Now, that is where I come in."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**5 minutes later**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, Sam, next time you have to actually stop at the stop sign." Ryan said calmly.

Sam squirmed in her seat. That was the third mistake in two minutes. Two minutes! She let out a whoosh of air, trying to calm herself. Ryan chuckled.

"What are you laughing about mister?" Sam accused jokingly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Eyes on the road Sam, or I might have to start calling you Samantha again." She grudgingly obeyed. After three more minutes of blown stop signs, two almost side swipes, and one "yourabouttogofftheroad!' moment, Ryan instructed Sam to pull over.

"Alright. This is counterproductive." He stated.

"Oh, really?" Sam said sarcastically.

Ryan chose to ignore the comment. "How about you sit on my lap and steer the car, while I control the gas and brake?"

Sam stared at him. "Are you kidding me?" She exploded. "What if my dad sees? Or worse." She shuddered. "Jake."

"Oh come on Sam. It's not like we are having sex or anything."

Sam gasped, and then flushed all the way to the roots of her hair. "Ryan Slocum! What a nasty thing to say!"

"What? I do not know what the big deal is. We are just friends; there is nothing sexual about this situation."

"Stop saying that!" She cried.

Ryan looked confused for a minute, then realization entered his eyes and he smirked. "Okay, I will not say the 's-word' anymore, just to preserve your precious fourteen year old innocence."

"I'm not that innocent." Sam said angrily.

"Then let's do this." He taunted.

"Fine!" She said and stomped around to the other side of the car.

Ryan frowned. "Please do not be angry Sam. I just want to help you. Friends still?" He asked timidly.

All the anger left her body. _He was so sweet. _"Yep!"She chirped.


End file.
